The Simple Gospel: God

Intro

Series Intro

Simple gospel series; I want us to walk through the basics of the gospel for two reasons:

We are always blessed with a reminder of the gospel, no matter how long we’ve been saved.

You can use this simple framework to share the gospel with people in your life.

It’s four simple words: God-Man-Christ-Response Lord willing, over the next four weeks, we will look at each word and see how they help us see the grand story of the gospel.

This morning we start with God. In his Institutes of the Christian Religion, John Calvin said, "Without knowledge of God, there is no knowledge of self."

Sermon Intro

Illustration: Describe how a telescope takes massive things that are far away and makes them bigger. Similarly, we need our view of God to be bigger. But it’s not because He’s small. Rather, sin takes the glorious things and shrinks them in our hearts.

FCF: Because of sin, we tend to forget just how grand and glorious God really is. We need a BIGGER view of God in order to see the world rightly and appreciate the gospel.

Main Point: To appreciate the gospel, we need a big view of God.

Context

In Isaiah’s prophecy, God’s people had been exiled from their land as a consequence of their sin. They had started to lose hope.

At the beginning of Isa. 40, there is a call for his people to be comforted about their restoration (physically AND spiritually).

They could be certain because God’s Word stands forever. Like a shepherd, God would rescue His lambs.

While it carried hope for Israel, it carries greater hope for ALL who take their refuge in Christ.

I. God is glorious beyond comparison (v.12-17)

Illustration:

Describe kids using their imagination to play and live everyday.

God wants us to have a sanctified imagination. He gives us descriptions like Isaiah 40 to imagine what He’s saying.

God is vast and He has great power (v. 12,22)

Using word pictures, Isaiah gives us a glimpse of just how massive God is.

The waters of the earth in the hollow of his hand.

Marking off the heavens like someone with a measuring tape.

Gathering all the dust and sand of the earth in a measure

Weighting the mountains in a balance

Only a VAST, MIGHTY God could do something like this!

In v. 22, Isaiah speaks of God sitting on a throne above the circle of the earth.

The people are like tiny grasshoppers.

In the biblical mind, grasshoppers represented both smallness AND brevity of life.

He stretches out the heavens like a thin cloth, like a tent to live in. He’s talking about the whole universe!

Again, only a MIGHTY God could be pictured like this!

God is wise beyond measure (v. 13-14)

Here we see that the Holy Spirit, needs no direction to do His work in the world and in creation.

Who gives the Great Counselor counsel? Jesus is the Wonderful Counselor! He doesn’t need our guidance! (Isa. 9:6)

Who did God consult to get His wisdom? He is the SOURCE of wisdom! He is All-Wise

Who taught the LORD justice or knowledge? Who showed Him the way of understanding? He ALONE defines justice. He determines truth and knowledge. He is the giver of understanding!

God is the sovereign, supreme ruler over all the nations (v.15-17)

More word pictures!

The nations and the people of the world are like a drop of water in a bucket in the eyes of God.

They are like dust measured on a scale (which we can envision weighing basically NOTHING at all!)

Lebanon was a place known for lush forests and abundance of wild animals.

All of their trees and animals wouldn’t be enough to be a pleasing burnt offering to God.

Put together, all the nations are as nothing. They are even LESS than nothing and emptiness before God.

This is the same language as Gen. 1 when it says the earth was "formless and void".

In other words, the nations of world are no match for God.

One christian rapper said it powerfully, "If every thug with a weapon took a shot at heaven, they couldn’t hit God".

You could expand that to the nations as well. No matter how much earthly rulers hate and try to fight God, they can’t affect Him!

Application: Is your view of God this big?

Our view of God is foundational to our understanding and appreciation of the gospel.

If we have a small view of God, our gospel will be small.

We will think of things God can’t or won’t be able to do. We won’t use those words, but that’s how we’ll live our lives.

We will pray little prayers with little hope that God will answer them. We won’t dare ask God to do big or seemingly impossible things. We will stick to safe prayers.

We will focus on behavior, programs, and formulas instead of God. If God is small in our hearts, our relationship with Him actually be central.

We will give lip service to a relationship with Him, but we are more religious than relational.

If we have a big view of God, our gospel will be big.

We will envision God doing mighty things… even impossible things. We will see Him saving the unsavable and doing the impossible within our hearts.

We will pray big prayers and trust that God CAN answer them. We will pray for things that we know only God can achieve. And if He says no or does it differently, we will trust His wisdom.

We will focus on heart and dwelling with Christ. When God is big in our eyes, we will want people to know HIM and walk with HIM. And from a God-saturated heart, our lives will be radically changed.

Do you have a small view of God right now? What needs to change in your life for God to be bigger in your eyes?

II. God’s competitors fall short every time (v.18-25)

Illustration: Describe runners who talked a big game but would either fake an injury when losing or get smoked in the race.

God competitors ALWAYS come up short! It’s not even close!

Idols (literal false gods) can’t be compared to God

They are manmade from gold or silver at best… the best wood at worst.

They have no creative power over the universe… God did that! (v.21-22)

Illustration: Describe Elijah’s God contest and how he went against the prophets of Ba’al. This is the same way every time!

World leaders can’t be compared with God either

World leaders—especially those who oppose God or view themselves as God—will be brought to nothing (v.21)

World leaders are here today and gone tomorrow.

The greatest empires among men have risen and fallen. The British empire has fallen. Rome has fallen. The United States will not be a world power forever, either.

Application: Which of God’s competitors are fighting for your heart right now?

Idols: You may not bow to a literal idol, but what heart idols drive your life and behavior? Timothy Keller wrote about heart idols.

Here are some common heart idols we wrestle with: Power. approval, comfort, and control.

Power? Is success, winning, and influence everything to you?

Approval? Are affirmation, love, and relationships central to your joy in life?

Comfort? Are privacy, lack of stress, and freedom the things that control your life?

Control? Are self-discipline, certainty, or high standards driving your thoughts and actions more than God?

Do you give too much attention to worldly leaders?

Do you spend a lot of time worrying and focusing on world affairs?

Do you fear the power of foreign nations or militaries?

Are you deeply wrapped up in politics both locally globally?

Does the political climate give or steal your joy depending on the headlines?

“Self’ May be the biggest Idol we face

It’s not mentioned in our passage today, but is your flesh fighting against God in your heart?

Do you spend all your time focused on ME, ME, ME?

Does your life revolve around self-protection and preservation?

Do you live life how you FEEL like it rather than how God commands you to live?

We all must answer THIS question: To whom will you compare ME or who is my equal?We may have the right answer in our heads, but what about our hearts?

III. God’s greatness demands a response (v.26-31)

Look up and see God’s creation (v.26)

Creation gives us evidence of God’s great power and strength (v.26). The heavens declare God’s glory and prove His existence!

Sometimes, we need to put the phones down, turn the TV off and look up!

Every star, planet, comet, and object we see in the night sky is named and numbered by God.

Because of His might and strong power, not one thing up there is out of place!

Remember God’s care for His people (v.27)

Specifically here, God cares for Jacob and Israel in exile. He had not forgotten them.

In general, He will not forget about His people, despite our failings and struggles. Christ paid for that!

Our sin separates us from God, but through Christ, we can be brought near to Him.

Trust in the Lord (28-31)

In our sin, we are faced with the consequences of sin. We can forget that God is the everlasting Creator.

We faint, get weak, and grow weary, but God never grows faint or weary.

We lack understanding, but God’s understanding is unsearchable.

We want to be in charge, but the LORD is the one who runs everything. We want the world to run as we see fit. But He is our ultimate authority.

Because of our sin and the consequences of sin, we faint and get weary. Even in our youth, we get exhausted.

When we recognize God for Who He is, we will see that He’s our source of strength. He’s the One who carries us every day!

Illustration: The eagle soars high in the sky, free and powerful. It is not bothered by threats on the ground because it’s soaring above. So it with us when we trust in God.

When we depend on God we can keep pressing on without running out of strength and giving up.

Conclusion: When you see the greatness of God, how do you respond?

Some are still walking in rebellion against God. This is our default response. Whether active or passive, apart from Christ, we rebel against God. Faith and repentance are the only answers in this situation!

Some have trusted in Christ, but you haven’t looked up in a while. We can get so bogged down with the care of this life that we forget to notice and praise our glorious God for His creative work and power.

Some have trusted in Christ, but you feel forgotten and forsaken. Remember that God doesn’t grow faint or grow weary. He will never leave nor forsake you!

If God keeps the sun rising and setting. If the stars remain in the sky. Then God says you can trust Him not to forsake His people! Christ’s death and resurrection are the proof of this!

Some of you have trusted in Christ and continue to trust Him. Keep walking with Him. Keep leaning on Him. The essence of the gospel is that we have a powerful God to trust every day.

What a mighty God we serve! The greatest question you can ask yourself today is this: "Who am I leaning on today?"

If you aren’t leaning on the LORD, turn from your self-reliance or your idols and rest in Him.